Gear-shift lever



l f out regard to whether Vthe 'gears are in mesh Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

' UNITED STATI-:s

, 1,552,408 PATENT 'y o'FF 1cE.

.f OLAF A, ANnERsoN, 'or .'HAMILTQN, omo.A v,

GEARsHIr'r LEVER,

Application filed. April 25, 1921. Serial No. 464,121.

To all whom tommy concern:

Be it known that I, OLAF A. 'ANDERSON a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Hamilton, county of Butler, State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvementsfi'n Gear-Shift Levers, of whichl the following is a specification.V

This invention' relatesl to locking devices for motor vehicles and more particularly to devices for rendering the usual gear-shift lever `of a motor vehicle inoperative. j

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a device of the type referred to by which thegear-shift lever may be rendered inoperative in any of its positions and withor in neutral. A further object offthe invention is to provide a locking device which Vwill render the gear-shift lever ineffective to shift the gears although permitting the lever to be moved freely in any direction.

Another object of the invention isto provide a locking device which may be controlled by a key adapted to be inserted in a lock at the top of the gear-shift lever and in which the key will be entirely 'housed within the usual knob at the top-of the lever when the lever is operative.

Other objects of the invention and the features of novelty Awill be' apparent from' the following description `taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,lof which: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectionthrough a gear-shift' lever and a portion of 'a vgear case, embodying my invention; f j L Fig. 2'is a longitudinal sectionof vthe -upper part of the gear-shift lever, this section being on a plane at right angles to-Fig-. 1,);v

Fig. 8 is a Vsection similar to'v Fig. 2 but shows the mechanism in the locked posi# tion; v f

Fig. 4 1s a transverse section onthe line Referring to the `drawings `indicates `a lpart ofthe casing-for the ordinary selective type of transmissiongearing, such as is'commonly usedon 'motor vehlcles, andfllrepyresents a gear shifting Inemberwwhich is actuated by the lever 12.1y #In ther-usual kconstruction thelever 12'would beftheflower end of asolidV gear-shift leverv'which' projects upwardly fromtthe" gear casing'to a y convenient position t'o' .be actuated by the ,operator of the vehic1e`,.as.-is indicated generally byV Fig. 1, but according'to'my invention, as specifically .illusflated v.1jthis lever is in'two sections ofiwhich the part 12 is thelower section kandthe part13 is the upper or handlesection. f The section 13 is of tubular form and has at its lower end an enlargement 14 having a 'spherical socket to receive the ball 15 at the upper end of the lever 12.V 'A part 16 is secured to the lower end of the enlargement 14,'by 'screw threads 17 and serves to retain the ball 15 in the socketv in the'enlargement 142The outer surfaceof the'enlargement 14 and of the part 16 are of spherical form andr concentric with the lball 15 and this spherical lower end lof the section 13'of' the gear-shift lever is seated and suitably held in a 'spherical socket formedin the top wall-of thecasing 10 and the cover plate 18, this construction permitting. universal .movement of theA handle sectionv 13 as ,is` customary i in gear-shift levers...y

r The handle-section 13 of the lever may be constructed inA any preferred manner but I have shown. it as comprising two tubular parts which' Aare telescoped and' rigidly secured together at 19. There is rigidly secured in the upperrend ofA the handle.13

by a pin 20 or in any other suitable' manner a plug or adapter 2O` which', liinturn', has Vrigidly secured to it, as by the threads-21 and pin 22, the barrel 23 Tof a =pin lock.` *The `cylinder 24' of this lock is housed inan opening in the knob. `25, said knob being formed .ofy two lsections which are Vscrewed togetherat 26. The cylinder V2Li-v and knob 25 are s ecuredtogether against relativerotation by the pin 27. 'A sleeve 28'hasa flange, L29 arranged between the bottom of the cylinder 24 and a shoulderO in the knob and is held against rotation relative to the knob `by a pin 31..'V The lock comprisingthe barrel Y y,23 and cylinder 4241 therefore serves to secure the knob .25 against rotation on Athe handle :18 when the key 32.is `removed from the barrel23 according to ythezwell known principle Iof .the pin lockiillustrated. .y l 1 fReferring toFig.r1}itwillbenotedvthat the ball v15 has a recess or socketto re- .,ceivethe `end of a. bolt 34 which. is slidably Ifitted in the' handle 13 and isY adaptedfvto Vform arigi'dconnection between the leven- 12 and handle-13 so ythat these parts, when thus l connected',- act as ya unit and the same as the ordinary` solid gear-shift lever. v A spring 35 bears upon thefupperY end ofthefboltel andV serves to force the bolt into and retain itlin upper end of the bolt 34 and has its upper end secured in a block 37that iSslidab'le in the handle 13 and carries a cross-pin 38, the Opposite ends of which .project-through the elongated slots 39 in the handle 13 and into the spiral slot-s 40 in the sleeve 28. yThus when the knob 25 is rotated in the righthand direction, With the parts as shown in Fig. 2, the ends of the cross-pin 38 will traverse the spiral yslots 40 and thereby lift the bolt 34 out of the socket ,33. The upper' end of each ofthe slots 40 yis reversedfas shown at 41 to form a bayonetllock to retain the bolt y34 inA .the .raised position. The downward thrust onl the knob 25 caused 4by the spring 35 is transmitted to theihand'le 13r through the-bearing of the 'cylinder-24 on the upper vend of Vthe plug 20.'Y

A disk 42 having a central Opening 43 for' the key 32 is movable Aaxially in the space 44 in the knob 25 and ispressed upwardly by the springs 45 and 46 arranged, respectively, in the axially extending openings `4 7 and 48 in the cylinder '24,V the'rsprings ybeing enclosed inl small tubes V49 vvhich are s ecuredto the under side of thedisk 42 and are slidable in vsaid openings 47 and :48.

` Thekey 32 has a cylindrical head 50Which Y is adapted to be positioned in the opening 51 in the knob 25 When the "key is inserted in the barrel 23, as Will 'be observedfioin Figs. lfand 2. 1t will also be observed'that when thekey is-in thelock the top of thefhead 50 is lush' with the outer surface of the knob25, thereby ,avoiding .objectionable projections on the knob.A A'

The operation et the device 'is as follows: With the parts in .their positions as ,shown in Figs. '1 and 2, the gear-shiftlever inaybe saidtobe unlocked'and adapted-'to effect the shifting of Ythe gears the same asia solid lever.v The keyv 32 Will be retainedin-the barrel 23 because the tumblers`52have been carried around by the knob `25a half-revolution from the position in whichL the key was inserted, this being anvell xknown feature of the pin lock. A s a matter of 'tact-i" the lkey will be retained in the lock leven `when the -knob is turned only slightly l:t'rointhfe position 'in vvhich thek'ey'fisf'inserted.V *It the V4knobf25i's n oW rotated ,to the right the bolt 34 will -be Withdrawn from `the socket 33 and YWhen v'the knob` reaches the position shown 1n Fig. 3,'thes`key Willbe Withdrawn by lthe ydisk 42 'and springs 45 andf/l, so that hall ifmoving inthefrsocket injlever. i fThustlie/rlas been accomplished what iS analqgoustotbreaking the v,lever ,and When the key 32 is again inserted in the lock and the knob turned back to the position illusgy.tratedl in .Figs. ,1 and 2 the bolt 34 Will be forced into the socket 33 when the sections .of the lever are in proper alignment, thus, ineffect, mending the broken lever.

It is preferablegtoihave the handle 13 normally retained in proper alignment with the lever 12' When these partsl are disconnected and to assist in thus holding the handle 1 have provided a sleeve 54 Which is slidable on the lever 12 and has a flange 55that bears against the loyver end of the part 16 vas 4shown in Fig. 1. A spring surrounds the sleeve 54 Aand is compressed between the flange 55' and a collarf`57 that is secured'on the lever 12 by the pin .58, orv in any .other suitable manner.

While I have indicated right-.handed spiral grooves 40, it will be readily understood that left-handed spirals may be used Without affecting the Inechanismin any Way exceptto reverse Ythe directions ot lrotation of the knob 25 .forlocking and unlocking.

' lVhile I have illustrated and described one Vform ofmy invention it is to vbe understood that the"construction illustrated is susceptible o-t'changesvvithout departing from the spirit of theinvention,.as defined in the pended claims. e

Having thus described WhatI claim is;

1. In a device oi theclass described, the combination of a lever eoinprisinga plural- -ity of sections, means lfor conn'ectingand disconnecting said sectionsV .5v-hereby they may v be operated as afunit or nelsection operated independently of the Vother vand yieldable means 'fer retaining'said sections in their normalrelation when said connecting meansfis inoperative.

'2. In a device of the class described', the combination of a lever comprising a 'plurality of sections one of Which is the handle,

'.iny invention,

section, Qrneans for rigidly l connecting d sectionswhereby they are vadapted :tov act as la"unitary structure, "Team 'means associatedvvith said knob for actuating 's a-id connecting means, and means 'controlled by a nonrotatable key for locking" s'aid Vknob against rotation.l i 'A i3; In a device of ythe class described, theS combination of a llever-comprisinga pluralityrof sections oneof jvhic'hfis-the handle, a knob mounted onthe' end' of sa-id Yhandle section and rotatable on the axis thereof, a Vinen'1ber" -for' connecting sai-diysections vvhereby'they may be operated )asa unit onone section operated independently of the other,

"c'am .means operated bythe retation fot1 said knobto actuate said Imembenfjand means contro'lledfby F a' non-rotatable for'locqk.-

lnig @sie jinebagainst rotation.. i

. 4. In a device of the classdescribed, the combination of a lever, av reciprocable lock- -ing member, a rotatable knob for actuating said member held against movement longitudinally of said lever, and means controlled by a non-rotatable key for locking said knob against rotation.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a lever, a reciprocable locking member, a rotatable knob on said lever for actuating said member held against movement longitudinally of said lever, a lock 'for securing said kno-b against rotation cn said lever, and a key adapted to actuate said lock when housed entirely within said knob.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a lever, a locking member,

a rotatable knob on said leverhaving an` opening therein, means operatively connecting said knob and said locking member, a lock for securing said knob against rotation on Said lever, and a non-turning key for said'l'ock adapted when housed within said opening to unlock ysaid knob.

7 In a device of the class described, the combination of a lever, a locking member associated therewith, a rotatable knob on said lever having a key-opening, a lock for securing said knob against rotation on said lever, a non-turning key adapted when housed within said opening to unlock said knob, and spring means for ejecting said ke g. AIn a device of the class described, the combination of a lever, a locking member associated therewith, a rotatable knob on said lever for actuating said member, a lock comprising a barrel and a cylinder rotatable relative to the barrel, said barrel being secured to said lever and said cylinder being secured to said-knob, whereby the lock is adapted to secure said knob against rotation, a key adapted when inserted in said barrel to release said knob, said lock being adapted to retain said key therein when said knob is turned from the position in which the key is inserted, and means within said knob for ejecting said key when released by the lock.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of -a lever, a locking member barrel, said knob having a chamber therein,

and Spring pressed means movable in said chamber for automatically ejecting the key from said lock. f

11. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a lever comprising two sec-y tions hinged together, means whereby saidk sections may be connected so as to act as a unit, and spring means associated 'with the connection between said sections for yieldably holding said sections in their normal relation when adapted for relative movement.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination of a lever, a locking member, a knob movable on said lever to actuate said member, a lock for ysecuring said knob against movement on said lever, and a nonturning key adapted to actuate said lock when housed entirely within said knob.

13. In a device of the class described, the combination of a lever, a locking member 'associated therewith, a knob movable on said lever for actuating said member, a lock comprising a barrel and a cylinder movable relative to the barrel, said barrel being secured to said lever and said cylinder being. secured to said knob whereby the lockv is adapted to secure the knob against movement, a key adapted when inserted in said barrel to release said knob, and said lock being adapted to retain said key therein when said knob is moved from the position in which the key is inserted.

In testimony whereof I yaffix mysignature.

OLAF A. ANDERSON. 

